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M. C. INDAHL. MULTIPLEX COMIPOSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, I915.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916. 3 SHEETS-SHEET I M! C. 'INDAHL MULTIPLEX COMPOSING MACHINE. I

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1915. V I Patented A11 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I OOOO \OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO M. C. INDAHL.

MULTIPLEX COMPOSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1915- L1 93,393. Patented Aug. 1,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

MONOTYPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF VIRGINIA.

v MULTIPLEX COMPOSING-MACHINE.

Application filed June 12, 1915. Serial No. 33,766.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURrrz C. I-NDAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiplex Composing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to multiplex typographic composing machines, whereina plurality of composing units are under the control of a single selecting unit, whereby composition may be effected in the same or different point size characters or in the same or different measures.

The objects of the invention are to provide in a machine of the character indicated, means whereby a repeat mechanism may be employed for rapidly and automatically reeating the character indicated in the seecting unit in any one or all of the composing units at the will of the operator, without occasioning confusion or false operations of any of the parts. and regardless of.

the number of composing units which are in action under the control of the repeat mechanism.

A further object of the invention isto provide a repeat mechanism which will be common to all of the composing units and be itself under the joint control of the selecting unit and any designated one or more of the composing units, but which will be unaffected by the composing units, the operation of which are for the time'being sus-' pended.

The invention, while not limited to any particular character or type of composing machines, is more particularly applicable to the Lanston monotype keyboard machines which are adapted to compose lines of printing characters and to make designations indicating the same in a record ribbon or in record ribbons each of which is impressed with proper designations in one of the composing units. In order that this type of machine may be more readily understood by those not familiar with the machines now on the market, and in very common use, reference may be had to prior U. S. Patents Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1910.

granted to Bancroft, No. 925,073, dated June 15, 1909, and to Bancroft and Indahl, No. 989,557, dated April 18, 1911, as well as to the patent granted to Bancroft and Indahl, No. 944,405, dated Dec. 28, 1909. In the latter patent there is found a selecting unit which in mechanical construction closely approaches the mechanical construction of the selecting unit of the commercial machine which has been adopted for illustrating the present invention.

Referring to the accompanying draw ings,-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken in substantially vertical planes, through the selecting unit and one of the composing units, respectively, these twounits being shown in superposed relation, although, in practice, they are displaced laterally with respect to each other. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a multiplex machine in which the present invention has been incorporated, this view corresponding closely to the view shown in Fig. 5, of the Bancroft Patent No. 925,073, and Fig. 1 of the Bancroft and Indahl Patent No. 989,557. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale of the operating connections and parts between the selecting unit, repeat mechanism and composing units for controlling the operation of the repeat mechanism in connection with any one or more of the composing units. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the automatic switch valve for shifting the connections in accordance with the composing unit which is to be thrown into or out of operative relation to the repeat mechanism.

Like reference characters throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

In said drawings, the two composing units indicated by B and B in Fig. 2 will be recognized as corresponding to the similarly lettered composing units in the patents on multiplex machines hereinbefore referred to, while C indicates the selecting unit or keyboard. The motor cylinder 8 and return motor cylinder 7 of each composing unit, together with the lock-out 19 and actuating or setting motor 6 for the justification indi cator are all shown diagrammatically asin said patents, so that detail description of these parts will be unnecessary herein for a complete understanding of their operation. The motive power connections are pipes for the transmission of pneumatic pressure and the said pipes are in communication with and under control of valves such as the resetting valve 12 and justificationindicator valve or key 14 which controls the motor 6 of one composing unit and the lock-out 19 of the opposite composing unit. In addition to the parts referred to there is in this mechanism, the shifting valve arrangement of the Bancroft and Indahl Patent 989,557, and which in its mechanical "construction corresponds exactly to that illustrated in the patent; that is to say, it embodies a valve mounted to rotate in a valve chamber or chest in one direction or the other under the control of 'a handle or finger piece 13, and when turned in one direction to make the necessary shift in the pipe connections for directing the motive fluid to the lock-out of one of the opposing units; when turned in the opposite direction to make a corresponding connection betweenthe source of power and the look-out of the opposite composing unit, and when turned into; an intermediate position, it leaves both of the lock-outs inactive, so that both or all of the composing units are effective and in operative relation to the selecting unit. In the modern development of these typographic machines it has become important to provide a means whereby the 'mechanism responsive to the designating member of a selecting unit when once set in motion as by the depression of the key, shall be continued in action and caused to automatically repeat its function until arrested. The mechanisms for accomplishing this end are known as repeat mechanisms, and such mechanisms have been embodied in commercial machines having a single composing unit. Illustration of one such mechanism may be found in the patents to Benham, No. 1,099,731, dated June 9, 1914, and 1,106,528, dated Aug. 11, 1914, although the best practical commercial development embodies in its construction a distinct repeat motor mechanism which is adapted to repeat the function of the selecting unit members on the composing unit members, and this commercial form of mechanism has been embodied in an application for patent filed by Bancroft and 'Indahl, Patent No. 1,149,175, dated'Aug. 10, 1915. The latter form of mechanism has been adopted for illustrative purpose in the present application and so much of the same as is necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention will be' hereinafter described.

In adapting the repeat mechanism for use inconnection with multiplex composing machines, it is highly desirable to provide a means whereby the repeat mechanism can be rendered independent of any oneor more of the composing units and will perform its functions in repeating the action of-the selecting unit members on the members of the operator the repeat-mechanism be made to.

function in connection with either or all of the composing units, there being such a coordination between the parts, however, that they cannot be thrown out of time during independent action inasmuch--- as combined action may have to be resumed at any point in the composition. The arrangement permits of the repeat mechanism beingutilized for filling out a line in any one of the composing units, as, for example, in justification, to the exclusion of the other composing units, and upon the completion of that line, the combined action of the composing units resumed under the control of the selecting unit. Each composing unit may thus have its lines of matter set in different point size and to a different measure, each line of each unit may be filled or justified correctly or in accordance with the desired form, and the filling or completion of a line in any composing unit may be effected with extreme rapidity, owing to the action of the repeat mechanism, thus enabling an operator toperform a greater amount of work with a duplex machine than was heretofore possible.

The selecting unit embodies the keyboard and valve mechanism for'controlling the admission of pressure to the composing units. The finger keys, one of which is shown at 180 in Fig. I correspond to the elements of the composition, and there is also a repeat key or keys-15. The keys 180 and the key 15 v move bars indicated at 16, and through the latter operate bars 173, the connection between the sets of bars being effected by bails 175 in the well known way. Thebars 173, when advanced, cooperate with valve stems 170 for opening communication between the source of pressure supply and the motor mechanism of the respective composing units B and B The supply pipes leading from the valves to said composing units are branched, as indicated at 25, in Fig. 2, wher'eby, upon the depression of any key 180, the corresponding combination of 'bars, 173 will be advanced to open the appropriate valves for admitting pressure to the motor mechanism of the composing units to make the proper desi ations in the record strip. The bars whi h cooperate with the valve stems 170 are provided witha spring supported end or part which directly cooperates with the valve stems, such parts being usually advanced by springs indicated at 26, whereby, although a key 1S0 is depressed, the end of the bar cooperating with the valve stem may be retracted. The repeat motor mechanism is adapted to coof oppositely disposed motor cylinders and.

pistons 27 between which is located one arm of a bellcrank frame 28, pivoted at 29 in a bracket on the frame of the selecting unit.

Another arm 36 of the bell crank frame is located in a position immediately in front of the yielding ends of the bars 173 and is adapted, when reciprocated, to periodically cause the yielding ends of said bars to be retracted, and to permit them to advance under the influence of their springs, for effecting a rapid repeat operation; or, in other words, to open and close the valves a number of times or until arrested by appropriate mechanism. For arresting the movement of the bell crank frame and for releasing the same, the frame is provided with a .stop arm 31 adapted to cooperate with a spring pressed catch 32, one arm- 33 of the catch being extended into a position where it will cooperate with a locking frame 34: adapted to be advanced by a bar 16 under the control of the repeat key 15, whereby, upon the depression of the repeat key 15 the catch 32 will be swung out f its operative position and the repeat motor will be released so that it will go into action whenever a designating key is operated. The operation of the designating keyin this mechanism is required, in order that, the requisite pressure supply may be put into communication with the repeat motor through appropriate valve mechanism to effect the reciprocation of the bell crank frame.

In themost convenient arrangement, and that adopted in the commercial machine, the two cylinders of the repeat motor are in communication respectively with the paper feed motor cylinders of the composing units; thus, one of the repeat motor cylinders is in communication with the paper feed motor cylinders 138,and the'other is in communication with the paper feed motor cylinders 137. The air pressure supplied to the paper feed motor cylinders, therefore, 20- tuates the repeat motor in time with the paper feed mechanism, and all under the control of a motor valve 146, described in the Bancroft and Indahl Patent No. 944,405,

of the frame 2, whereby, when either lockout is operated neither the universal bar and frame nor the punches themselves can be actuated. Thus it becomes possible to lock out of operation the designating or composing members of. the composing unit, but such action of the lock-out does not prevent the flow of air or pressure to one or the other of the paper feed cylinders, and consequently an irregular or incorrect operation of the repeat mechanism might result. To overcome any difiiculty of this kind, and to render the mechanism completely eflective for preventing any interference with the repeat mechanism by the inactive composing unit, there is introduced in the pressure supply and exhaust passages an automatic switch valve. This valve is conveniently a cylindrical valve adapted to be shifted by pneumatic pressure in one direction or the other, the pressure for shifting the valve being determined by the pressure admitted to the lock-out mechanism. The arrangement is such that when the lock-out for one composing unit is operated, the pressure for rendering the said lock-out effective shifts theautomatic valve into a position where the repeat mechanism will be controlled entirely by the composing unit which is operative, and excludes the control of the composing unit. which is locked out of action.

The valve mechanism is shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 4 and diagrammati cally in Figsal, 2 and 3. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the repeat motor cylinders 27 are connected by ducts 36 with the valve chamber 37 and the valve 38 in said chamber is adapted when in one position to open communication between the ducts 36 and ducts 39, leading from the paper feed cylinders 137, 138, of one composing unit and when in the other position said valve is adapted to open communication between the ducts 36 and ducts 40 leading to the paper feed motor cylinders 137 and 138 of the other composing unit. When the ducts 36 are placed in communication with the ducts leading to one composing unit, the ducts leading to the other composing unit are closed by the enlarged portions of the valve and consequently the motive pressure from that composing unit is cut off from the repeat motor. For shifting the valve, the

ends of the valve chamber 37 are open to ducts 41 through which pressure is trans mitted to the lock-outs 19 and 19 and consequently, whenever the intermediate control valve or transposing element A (of Patent 989,557) is shifted or turned to one side or the other for properly directing the pressure selecting unit, the position of the automatic control valve is at such time of no consequence as the pressure to the repeat motor may be controlled by any composing unit to-effect the repeat action in all.

While the invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a Lanston monotype keyboard in which the composition is designated in a record strip and the motive power is compressed air, it is obvious that it may be readily embodied by those skilled in the art in widely different types of composing machines, or in machines in which mechanical power or electricity are employed in lieu of pneumatic pressure.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographic machine embodying a plurality of composing units, and a selecting unit common to all composing units, the

combination of repeat mechanism, and means whereby the action of the repeat mechanism in the composing units may be selectively controlled. I

2. In a typographic composing machine embodying a plurality of composing units,

each provided with means for justifying a line, and'a selecting unit common to all composing units, the combination of repeat mechanism under the control of the selecting unit, and means whereby the action of the repeat mechanism in the compo-sing units may be selectively controlled.

3. In a typographic composing machine embodying a plurality of composing units and a selecting unit common to all composing units, the combination of repeat mech' anism, and means under the control of the selecting unit for determining at will in which of the' composing units the repeat mechanism shall be effective.

4. In a-typographic composing machine embodying a plurality of composin units, and a selecting unit common to all t e composing units, the combination of repeat mechanism common to all the composing units, and means under the control of. the selecting unit for determining at will in which of the composing units the repeat mechanism shall be effective. 1

5. In a typographic composing machine, embodying a plurality of composing units, and a selecting unit common to all the composing units, the combination of a repeat mechanism common to all the composing units, means'whereby the repeat mechanism may be controlled exclusively by any one composing unit, and means for determining at will which composing unit shall control the repeat mechanism.

6. In a typographic composing machine,-

embodying a plurality of composing units and a selecting unit common to all of the composing units, the combination of repeat mechanism embodying motor mechanism under the control of the selecting unit for repeating the action of the selecting unit in the composing units respectively, and lockout mechanism under the control of the selecting unit for arresting the repeat action in any desiredcomposing unit.

7. Ina typographic composingmachine, embodying a plurality of composing units, a selecting unit common to all the composing units, and a lock-out for each composing unit controlled from the selecting unit, the

acter designating devices, a selecting unit provided With a series of selecting members or keys each coupled in multiple with cor responding designating devices of the composing units, a repeat motor common to all of the composing units, and means in the selecting unit for selectively controlling the operation of the repeat motor in the composing units. I

9.- In a multiplex composing mechanism, such as described, the combination of the following elements, to wit: a plurality of composing units'each equipped with character designating devices, a selecting unit pro- 'vided with a series of selecting members or keys each of the latter coupled in multiple Withcorresponding designating devices of the composing units, a repeat motor common to the composing units, operating connections intermediate the repeat motor and each of the composing units, and means controlled from the selecting unit for selectively controlling the said operative connections between the repeat motor and composing units.e

10. In a multiplex composing mechanism,

such as described, the combination of the following elements, to wit: a plurality of composing units each equipped with character designating devices and a feed motor, a selecting unit provided with a series of selecting members or keys, eac of the lat- .ter coupled in multiple with corresponding designating devices of the composing units, a repeat motor common to all of the composing units, connections intermediate the feed motor of the composing units and repeat motor, and a switch valve for determining which of said connections shall be operative to control the repeat motor.

11. In a multiplex composing mechanism,

10 each of the composing units, an automatic valve controlling said connections, and means whereby said valve will be shifted in unison with the operation of the lock-out of any composing unit, whereby the efiect of the locked out composing unit on the repeat 15 motor will be nullified.

MAURITZ C. INDAHL.

Witnesses:

J. SELLERS BANOROFT, SAMUEL F. GRASER. 

